Snakes
by krpinto1995
Summary: After the war, Harry finds an injured black snake near the Forbidden Forest. Little does he know it's his Potions Professor, who he is tasked with looking after until he has recovered. In the time it takes for Snape to recover, will he learn to see Harry as himself instead of the Boy-Who-Lived, or will he continue to hate James Potter's son? T for now, M or MA in future chapters.
1. Prologue

This is my first fanfic that I'm uploading, so feel free to point out any spelling or grammar mistakes and I will try to correct them. Everything follows the events in the books, except that Dumbledore and Severus do not die, and Sirius didn't fall through the veil at the end of Harry's fifth year. Those are the major changes at least, and they, and any others that I've forgotten are mentioned in the prologue.

Harry Potter and all the characters involved do not belong to me, they belong to J K Rowling.

* * *

"Normal speech"

'Thinking'

_Flashback_

_"Parseltongue"_

* * *

The war was finally over. Voldemort was dead, and Dumbledore, Sirius, Remus, and Tonks were still alive. It was not without its casualties though. Oliver Wood, Vincent Crabbe, Percy Weasley, and Madam Hooch were among those who did; their bodies lay out in the Great Hall, surrounded by their families and friends, who mourned their passing. Some of those hardest hit were the Weasleys, having lost their son. George was hit the worst, having nearly lost his twin if not for Percy, who had shoved Fred out of the way of an Avada Kedavra. He stood there with his twin, dry eyed but white as a sheet as he looked down at his brother. Draco Malfoy and his family were in the Great Hall as well, standing off to the side, looking paler than normal as they looked at the damage that had been done.

Eventually healers from St. Mungo's arrived, and took over from Madam Pomfrey and the students who were assisting her, so they could get some rest, as they had been working tirelessly since the first injured person had entered into the Hospital Wing.

Dumbledore finished speaking with the Ministry members who had arrived once Voldemort died, and immediately took charge of the situation. The rest of the Order members who were not severely injured went out with a handful of aurors to round up the rest of the Death Eaters who had fled once the Dark Lord had fallen.

Dumbledore told everyone else to go home to rest and mourn, and that the funerals for those that had fallen in battle would take place in a week, and that the Ministry would be taking care of the bodies of the Death Eaters, which lay off to the side, away from those of the Order, the aurors, and any child from Hogwarts who chose to stay and fight.

Then Dumbledore approached Harry, who sat beside the body of his godfather, Sirius Black, with the werewolf Remus Lupin beside him. Harry didn't turn around at Dumbledore's approach, but he spoke.

"He won't wake up. He's still breathing, and I can feel his magic, it's still there and it's as strong as his heartbeat, but he won't wake up." He turned to Dumbledore with his tear-streaked face. "Why won't he wake up?"

"Harry," Dumbledore said gently, "perhaps you would like to come to my office and talk? I'm sure you have lots of questions, and I may be able to tell you what happened to Sirius. But that is not a conversation that is meant for here."

Harry didn't say anything, but got to his feet and followed Dumbledore to the stone gargoyle that guarded his office. The gargoyle sprang away without needing a password, and Harry and Dumbledore went up the spiral staircase to his office, which looked like it did before. Dumbledore conjured a chair for Harry with a wave of his wand, and they both took their seats.

As soon as Harry sat down, he asked "Professor, what happened to Sirius?"

Dumbledore smiled at Harry and conjured tea for both of them, and as he started preparing it, he replied "I have no idea what happened to Sirius." Quieting Harry's protests, he continued, "But if I had to hazard a guess, I'd say that he was either hit by a curse that put him in a coma-like state, or he exhausted his magical core in battle, so his body fell into a self-induced coma so it could heal and build up his magical reserves once more."

"Why does it matter if he was hit by a curse or exhausted his magical core?" Harry asked, "He's still in a coma either way."

"Because, if it was a curse, he won't wake up until the curse runs its course or is broken, but if the coma is self-induced, then he will wake up once his body has healed."

Harry sat there in silence, thinking about what Dumbledore said and letting it sink in that Sirius might wake up, until he realized that Dumbledore was still alive. It seemed strange to realize this now, but he had spent a year believing that Dumbledore was dead, and he only revealed that he was alive in the middle of the battle, so Harry didn't really have the chance to react then, what with the fighting for his life and all.

"Professor, how are you still alive?"

"That, my boy, is a good question. In your sixth year, Draco Malfoy came to me, troubled. He had been told by Voldemort that he had to kill me or his family would die. He had already attempted to kill me twice, first with the cursed necklace, and then with the bottle of mead."

"I knew it was him!"

Dumbledore gazed serenely at Harry over his half-moon spectacles until Harry sat down and picked up his cup of tea before continuing. "He confessed to both attempts, and said that he didn't know what to do, and begged me to save his family. I thanked him for telling me everything, and told him to continue acting as he had before and that when the time came, I would die, to save his family. He was distraught, but I couldn't do anything as I could hardly tell him that Severus would help me fake my death, since he didn't know that Severus was my spy."

"So then, that night on the astronomy tower….you didn't die?"

"No, Harry, I didn't. I still had my wits about me, despite being weakened by that potion, so when Severus cast what was supposed to be the killing curse, which threw me off the tower, I was able to cast a strong cushioning charm, and transfigure a stone into my body, and glamour a spare wand to look like mine, which allowed me to land and then get away safely to the Forbidden Forest."

"So what Snape cast, that wasn't the Avada Kedavra then?"

"No. It was a beam of green light that resembled the killing curse but in reality just pushed me off the tower. Severus is proficient in wordless magic, so what was cast was different than what was said. The killing curse requires strong intent to cast successfully."

"So Snape was on our side then?"

"Yes."

"Oh bollocks! Er, sorry professor," Harry apologized as he stood up abruptly.

"Harry, whatever is the matter?"

"Snape-"

"Professor Snape, Harry."

"Professor Snape then. He was bitten by Nagini. And he's lying on the floor of the Shrieking Shack. He died, because we didn't try to save him after Voldemort left. We have to go get his body Professor. He's a hero as much as anyone else who died in battle."

"Harry, my dear boy, calm down," Dumbledore said, trying to get Harry calm enough that he could explain.

"How can you ask me to _calm down_?" Harry shouted. "We have to- Professor Snape-" he cried, cutting himself off in his inability to express himself.

"Potter, inarticulate as always. I'm touched to see that you care," a familiar voice drawled.

Harry turned around, and went white as a sheet. "You…how?"

Professor Snape sneered as he moved into the room. "No thanks to you clearly."

"Severus," Dumbledore warned.

Snape grimaced at having to play nice, but gave a curt nod before continuing. "Obviously someone like myself, who spends large amounts of time in the Dark Lord's presence as a spy, would assume that He would try and kill me eventually, and even if it were not expected, I would still be prepared for such an eventuality anyways. Before meeting He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named in the Shrieking Shack, I ingested an antidote to Nagini's venom, which I had developed, as well as a bezoar. You do remember what that is, right Potter?"

"Severus."

Snape sneered and rolled his eyes before continuing. "Once I gave you the memories you needed, I pretended to die, and once you and your sidekicks had left, I took a blood-replenishing potion, and left to meet Albus in the Forbidden Forest. We then entered the battle, him under glamour, and myself under both a disillusion and a notice-me-not spell, and took out as many Death Eaters as possible while evading attention. Eventually Albus revealed himself, while I did not. Now, Albus, if you'll excuse me, I must go to my chambers, and begin brewing whatever healing potions I can, because Poppy will definitely need them. I merely wanted to let you know that I am still alive, as we became separated in the battle." With a nod to both Dumbledore and Harry, Snape swept out of the room, his robes billowing behind him.


	2. Chapter 1

Harry Potter and all the characters involved do not belong to me, they belong to J K Rowling.

* * *

"Normal speech"

'Thinking'

_Flashback_

**_"Parseltongue"_**

* * *

It was the summer after what would have been Harry's seventh year if he hadn't been on the run while trying to hunt down Horcruxes and Harry was staying at Hogwarts. He couldn't go back to the Dursleys anymore, and he didn't want to go to Grimauld Place, because it reminded him of Sirius, and also because Sirius was at Hogwarts, in the Hospital Wing, and Harry wanted to be nearby in case he woke up. He had talked to Madam Pomfrey, and she had told him that Sirius was not under a curse, but a self-induced healing coma, so he would indeed wake up once he was ready.

In the meantime, Harry was helping out with the restoration of Hogwarts, since there were a few wings of the castle that needed to be rebuilt, and the grounds needed to be cleared, and because the reporters who wanted to speak to Harry weren't allowed onto Hogwarts. The damage wasn't too bad anymore, since between Dumbledore, Flitwick, and McGonagall, most of the damage had been repaired, except for one wing of the castle, which was expected to be finished by the end of the week.

Harry had been helping Hagrid out with the grounds for three weeks since the start of July; banishing the rubble and casting spells to help the plants regrow. Professor Sprout was also helping; once she had restored her greenhouses to their former state, she was able to help the restoration of the flora and speed things up, since Herbology was her specialty.

That day, Harry had been wandering the grounds, looking at how things had changed and yet were still the same. The Giant Squid was still in the lake, and could occasionally be seen waving its tentacles; the thestrals and centaurs were still living in the Forbidden Forest, and Harry had helped Hagrid feed them a few days ago. He frequently wandered around the castle, and he never usually saw any animals, except for the occasional owl, except for today. When he was walking by the Forest, he noticed a black snake with a white belly and a blue stripe down its back curled up by a rock. There was some blood on the rock and the snake wasn't moving, and looked like it was hurt.

Harry walked to the snake, and bent down to get a closer look. The snake's eyes blinked open, and its tongue darted out, but it didn't do anything else, which Harry found strange. He expected it to hiss at him at least.

**"Are you okay?"** Harry hissed at the snake, using Parseltongue to find out if it needed help.

**"No, I sssssimply decided that curling up on thissss rock while I am bleeding would be fun."**

Harry decided to ignore the sarcasm, and asked **"Isssss there any way I can help?"**

**"Yessssss. Bring me to Hagrid."**

Harry was taken aback and asked the snake **"You know Hagrid?"**

**"If I did not know Hagrid, why would I have used hisssss name when I assssked you to bring me to him?" **

**"Oh. Right."** Harry replied, feeling rather foolish, that the snake needed to point out the obvious. **"How ssssshould I carry you?"**

**"I can wrap myssssself around your neck and chessst."**

**"Alright."** Harry picked up the snake and helped it wrap itself around him, before walking quickly to Hagrid's hut. He would have run, but he was afraid that the movement would jar the snake and cause it pain.

When he got to Hagrid's hut, he knocked on the door and said "Hagrid, I need your help. I found and injured snake and he told me to bring him to you."

" 'Ello 'Arry. You have an injured snake ye say? Bring 'im in," Hagrid said as he opened the door.

Harry walked into the hut and helped the snake unwrap itself from around him and curl up on the table.

**"Thanksssss,"** the snake hissed. **"You were nice to carry me. Very warm asssssss well."**

**"No problem,"** Harry replied.

"Now, what have we here?" Hagrid asked, seating himself at the table as he took a closer look at the snake.

"He has a gash in his side that's bleeding," Harry replied. "I found him near the Forbidden Forest."

"Hmmm… Well the blood is congealing, so the Professor will be ok." Hagrid rummaged around in his pockets for a bit before pulling out a tube. He handed it to Harry and said " 'Ere. This will prevent infection, and it jus' needs teh spread it on the gash every day."

Harry took the tube, and then he realized what Hagrid had called the snake. "Er, Hagrid, what did you mean when you said Professor?"

Hagrid chuckled and said "Tha's Professor Snape 'Arry." When he saw Harry gaping in shock, he couldn't help but add "Make sure yeh look after 'im. He'll pro'ly try teh sneak off teh 'is chambers once he feels better. Make sure he doesn't until he changes back from a snake."

"Professor Snape changes into a snake? Why? And what did he even do to get hurt?"

"Iunno 'Arry, you'll have to ask 'him yerself. Now take good care of 'im and keep 'im near you at all times. Oh and also try not to move 'im too much."

"Er, alright. Thanks Hagrid," Harry replied, still processing that he helped Snape, who was a snake at the time. **"Um, Professssssssor?"** Harry hissed, **"Are you well enough to wrap yourssssself around me again ssssso I can carry you?"**

**"I might need your help again,"** Snape hissed, **"but I ssshould be able to. I will tell you if it hurtsssss too much."**

_'Which means he won't tell me at all'_ Harry thought as he carefully picked Snape up and wrapped him around his neck and chest once more. Once Snape was comfortably situated, Harry asked **"Are you okay?"**

**"I'm fine,"** Snape replied.

"Thanks again Hagrid," Harry called as he headed back to the castle with Snape.


	3. Chapter 2

Harry Potter and all the characters involved do not belong to me, they belong to J K Rowling.

* * *

"Normal speech"

'Thinking'

_Flashback_

**_"Parseltongue"_**

* * *

Once he got back to the room he was staying in, Harry looked around before realizing that he didn't know where he should keep Snape. Standing at the entrance, he asked **"Ssssnape, where do you want to ssstay?"**

**"Sssssomewhere ssssoft and warm would be nice,"** Snape replied**. "And Potter, even though I'm a ssssnake, I'm sssstill your professssor and you ssssshall addressssss me asssss sssssuch."**

**"Uh… the only place I can think of that fitsssss isssss my bed. And sssssorry Ssssir."**

**"That'sssssss fine."**

Harry decided to not think about the fact that he would be sharing a bed with Snape and went into the bedroom. The bed wasn't big enough for both him and Snape since he moved around in his sleep and was scared that he'd accidently roll onto Snape, so he pulled out his wand and transfigured the bed so it was larger before setting Snape down on one side.

Snape immediately curled up as much as he could without hurting himself and with a sleepy **"Thanksssss"** he fell asleep, leaving Harry to wonder how he was going to deal with taking care of a snakey Snape.

Since he had nothing better to do and since he had to keep Snape close by, Harry placed a charm on Snape that would alert him if Snape woke up, and then he left his chambers to go to the library.

On the way there, he ran into Dumbledore.

"Harry, my boy. Thank you for agreeing to take care of Professor Snape. He's not the easiest of people to get along with, although I'm sure that his being a snake helps things somewhat."

Harry could only look in surprise at how Dumbledore always seemed to know what was going on at Hogwarts. "Uh, you're welcome Professor. I only did what anyone else in my position would do."

Dumbledore chuckled "I don't doubt that. I suppose you're off to the library so you don't get bored looking after Severus?"

"Er, yeah. I was hoping to read ahead on some of the material that everyone who returns would be doing in their eighth year. Hermione'd be proud."

"Yes, Miss Granger is the sort who would encourage you to do something like this. Well don't let me keep you waiting; I'm sure that once Severus wakes up, he'll try to make his way to his rooms instead of resting like he should. You'd best get back before that happens."

"Alright Professor," Harry replied as he started walking to the library once again.

* * *

When Harry left the library and headed back to his chambers, he had quite a large stack of books with him. There were multiple books on Potions and DADA, as well as a few books on Transfiguration and Charms, and a book on Herbology and one on Quidditch, just for the hell of it.

Once Harry said the password; **"basilisk"**, and entered his rooms, he set the stack of books down on a table near his bed, and checked up on Snape. He was still in his snake form, and still sleeping deeply, so Harry got under the covers on the other side of the bed and accio'ed the first set of books, on DADA. It was the subject he knew best, so he figured that it would be best to just read that first and get it out of the way. Halfway through the first of three books on DADA that Harry had borrowed, he accio'ed a roll of parchment and a self-inking quill, and began to take notes on the spells and theories that he'd read about.

He'd never understood Hermione's love for knowledge before, but now it finally made sense. There was so much to learn, and he found that once he did learn it, he wanted to know more. It got to the point that he didn't notice the charm he'd placed on Snape warning him that Snape was waking up, allowing Snape the opportunity to sneak out of bed while he was engrossed in his learning. It was only by chance that he happened to look up from his parchment and notice that Snape was gone.

Swearing to himself, Harry clambered out of bed and began looking for Snape. He figured that Snape would try to go to his dungeons, so he ran out of his room and headed down there. He didn't know how long Snape had disappeared for, so he figured he'd start in the dungeons and work his way back to his room. In his haste, he didn't notice the black snake curled up near the fire.

When Harry got to the dungeons, he cast a charm to improve his hearing, and then called out in Parseltongue **"Professsssor Sssssnape. Are you here? You're not ssssupposssssssed to be moving."** Getting frustrated he added **"Anssssswer me damnit."** Not hearing any reply, even with his enhanced hearing, he asked the snake portrait that guarded Snape's private chambers **"Do you know if a black ssssnake with a blue sssstripe down itssssss back has come down here recently? I need to find him, he'sssss injured."**

To his dismay, the snake replied **"No sssssnakes have passsssed by here."**

_'Damnit. If he's not down here, then he must be somewhere in between my rooms and the dungeons. But where?'_ Then Harry remembered the Marauder's Map. Dashing all the way back to his rooms, he dug through his trunk until he found the enchanted parchment. Tapping it with his wand, he muttered "I solemnly swear I am up to no good." Once the map had finished forming, he quickly scanned it for the dot labelled Severus Snape. It wasn't in the dungeons, or anywhere between his rooms and the dungeons. Harry finally spotted it in his rooms. '_Did that mean that Snape never left?'_ Harry wondered.

Harry tapped the map with his hand and muttered "Mischief managed" before dropping it back in his trunk and proceeding to search his rooms more thoroughly.

**"Professssor,"** he hissed in Parseltongue,** "where are you?"**

He heard a faint reply coming from his living room, so he ran into it and looked around for Snape. **"Ssssir? Where are you— Oh. There you are," **Harry exclaimed as he spotted Snape curled up near his fireplace. Relieved to finally have found him, Harry dropped into one of the armchairs. **"Professssor, you know that you aren't sssssupposed to be moving. It hassssn't even been a day yet. What made you think that you'd magically be healed?"**

**"Sssshut up, Potter."**

**"I will not!"**

**"Twenty pointssss from Gryffindor!"**

Harry laughed.** "Professssor, you can't take pointssss from my house."**

**"And why not? Doesss Gryffindor'sssss Golden Boy think that becausssse he is the Boy-Who-Lived, he is exempt from getting houssse pointssss taken from hissss housssse?"** Somehow even as a snake, Snape managed to sneer.

At hearing Snape's words, Harry flinched. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, he replied **"Professsssor, that'ssss not true, sssso don't put wordssss in my mouth. And don't call me that, I hate the attention that I get from being the Boy Who Lived. That'ssss all people ever ssssee me asss, and they never ssssee Harry. What I meant wassss, you can't take pointssss if classsses haven't ssstarted yet. It'sss sssstill ssssummer."**

**"You mean you** **aren't an attention sssseeking prat then?"** Snape hissed, smirking, if it were possible for a snake to do so.

Harry opened his mouth to snap at Snape, and then he realized that Snape was teasing him, but still asking a serious question, and that from Snape's viewpoint, that's how Harry appeared. **"No, I'm not. Thingssss just always sssseem to happen to me, becausssse I'm the Boy Who Lived,"** Harry replied sadly. **"Ssssometimes all I want is to be normal for a change."**

**"Your father wasss an attention ssseeking prat."**

**"My father wassss many thingssss, one of which may have been an attention sssseeking prat. I wouldn't know, becausssse I never knew him. But I'm not my father, and you need to ssstop viewing me assss him, Professssor. I'm jussst Harry."**

Harry looked so sad, sitting there, that Snape couldn't help but uncoil himself and slither over to Harry to rest his head on Harry's leg in a gesture of comfort.

Harry looked at Snape in surprise, and then smiled. Maybe they could get along for however long Snape was going to be staying in Harry's chambers. And deep down, Harry hoped that Snape might also learn to see him as just Harry, instead of Harry Potter, the Boy Who Lived.


	4. Chapter 3

Harry Potter and all the characters involved do not belong to me, they belong to J K Rowling.

* * *

"Normal speech"

'Thinking'

_Flashback_

**_"Parseltongue"_**

* * *

Finally breaking the silence that had fallen, Harry said **"C'mon Professssor. Let'sss get you back in bed. And don't try ssssneaking out thissss time."** Once Harry had gathered Snape up in his arms, he asked **"How did you end up in my living room anywayssss? I'd have expected you to go down to your dungeonssss."**

**"I wassss going to go there,"** Snape agreed, **"but I got tired, and it wassss warm near your fireplace."**

**"Well you'd better hope that you didn't reopen your wound, or you'll be ssstuck here for longer. How did you get hurt anywayssss? And how come you're able to turn into a sssnake? Are you an animagussss?"**

**"The wound came from a sssslicing curssse. Asss for why I'm a sssnake, assssk me again when I'm back to normal and perhapssss I sssshall tell you."**

**"What were you doing to get sssslicing cursssses thrown at you? The war issss over."**

**"Potter, I'm tired. Assssk me again when I'm back to normal."**

**"Mussst I?"**

**"Yesss, Potter, you musssst,"** Snape replied, tired but amused at how Harry seemed like a little child who had just been denied chocolate.

**"Fine,"** Harry said, aware that he was acting rather childishly. Placing Professor Snape down on the bed, he said **"Let me ssssee your sssside sssso I can make ssssure that you haven't reopened your wound, and reapply the ssssalve." **When Snape obliged, Harry unwrapped the bandage and examined the wound gently. Seeing that there was no more blood coming from it, he told Snape **"You're lucky you didn't reopen it. You better not try thissss again, or you just might next time."** Without looking up, Harry grabbed his wand and summoned the salve that Hagrid had given him. He squeezed some onto his fingers and began gently spreading it onto the wound and told Snape** "Let me know if thissss hurtssss."**

**"I don't need you to tell me that Potter."**

**"Yesss you do. If I didn't sssay that, you might try and ssssuffer ssssilently through the pain,"** Harry smirked.

Snape hissed at Harry but didn't deny his words; they both knew he was right.

When Harry was finished, he bandaged Snape's wound, and then told him** "You exerted yourssself needlessssssly today. You sssshould ssssleep."**

**"You don't think that I've ssslept enough today?"** Snape asked, though it lacked his usual bite.

**"You're a ssssnake and you have a gaping wound in your ssside. Sssso no, you haven't ssslept enough today. Are you going to ssssleep or do I need to try out thissss sssleeping charm that I read about?"**

Snape grumbled to himself, but he listened to Harry, and curled up on Harry's pillow.

**"Hey! Ssssnape, that'sss my pillow!"**

**"It'ssss Professsssor Sssnape,"** Snape snapped tiredly**, "And I'm… aware of… that. It ssssmells… like… you."** Snape yawned, and then fell asleep, leaving Harry to stare at him and wonder if he should be amused, before summoning another pillow and settling down to do some more reading.


	5. Chapter 4

Harry Potter and all the characters involved do not belong to me, they belong to J K Rowling.

* * *

"Normal speech"

'Thinking'

_Flashback_

**_"Parseltongue"_**

* * *

After one and a half weeks, and multiple attempts to escape on Snape's part, Snape's wound had finally healed. The worst time was probably when Harry had to rescue Snape when he finally managed to escape Harry's chambers and was nearly trampled.

-Flashback-

_Harry was once again engrossed in his studies, something which had shocked Snape initially but he was now used to, and Snape saw it as the perfect opportunity to attempt to escape again. It wasn't that Snape hated the boy; he'd grown accustomed to the boy's presence, not that he would ever admit to it, but more that he was getting bored of being cooped up so every so often he would get his exercise by escaping, and going as far as he could before his wound started to hurt or he was caught by Potter. He was getting better though, and was able to go farther, so this time, he was able to get to the corridors, before encountering any problems. _

_As Snape was slithering down the corridor, suddenly his muscled seized up and he found that he couldn't move, which was rather problematic since walking down the corridor were Minerva, Pomona and Poppy, who were talking about something or the other and didn't see Snape._

_Just then, Harry's door opened, and out came a panicked Harry. He noticed the trio of professors walking down the corridor, and immediately spotted Snape, who was going to get trampled. Pulling out his wand, Harry cried "Impedimenta", causing the witches to freeze for a few moments. That was enough time for Harry to grab Snape and start hissing at him furiously in Parseltongue about how stupid and irresponsible he was to go outside when he clearly wasn't fully healed and how even if he hated being taken care of by James Potter's son, he had to put up with it until he was capable of changing back and that he should stop being a pain in the ass and swallow his pride, at least until he was better._

_At hearing that, Snape was livid. _Who was the brat to tell him how he should behave? _Despite how correct Harry might be about how what he did was stupid and could have resulted in further injury, the brat had no right to lecture him, as if he were the professor and Snape a student._

_Snape hissed furiously at Potter, giving him a piece of his mind, only to find that the brat wasn't listening to him. _

_Ignoring the angry snake in his arms, Harry was apologizing to the professors he had temporarily frozen in order to save Snape from being trampled. "I'm sorry for having to do that Professors, it certainly couldn't have been pleasant, but I had to, otherwise you would have stepped on Professor Snape."_

_"You mean that the snake is Professor Snape?" McGonagall asked._

_"It does look like the snake he transformed into on occasion when he needed to spy," Sprout remarked._

_"Well, I can speak to him, and I know for sure that it's Professor Snape. Even if it's only because I doubt any other snake is capable of being as snarky as he is." Harry said with a grin as the three witches burst out laughing. _

_"That's true. No one is as snarky as Severus." McGonagall said._

_Harry grinned before turning to the Hogwarts healer. "Madam Pomfrey, could I drop by the Hospital wing later so you can check over Professor Snape? I took him to Hagrid when I found him, but I just want to make sure that he's healing okay. He also seemed unable to move which was why he nearly got trampled, and I'm not sure if that's because of his injury or if he managed to injure himself some more."_

_"Of course Harry, you're welcome to come by later, just so long as I don't have to treat you. Goodness knows I've seen you in there enough times already. I could check him over now if you'd prefer," Madam Pomfrey said._

_"Well, right now he's really angry at me for calling him an idiot because he snuck out of the room even though he isn't fully healed, so I don't think he'd let you check him over. I should probably get this over with and let him yell at me actually, so I'll come by later." _

_After saying bye, Harry walked into his room and set Snape down on the bed. "Might as well get this over with," he muttered._

_Almost as soon as Snape was set down, he hissed angrily __**"Potter, you have no right to tell me what I can or can't do. I am sssick of being locked up in thessse roomsss with nothing to do apart from sssleeping or talking to you. I am bored out of my mind, and I misssss my dungeonsss. And you have no right to tell me how I ssshould behave, or lecture me asss if you were my professssor. And besssidesss, I am a grown adult, and I can take care of mysssself!"**_

**_"Well, _****Professssssor,****_ maybe if you didn't act so irresssponsibly then I wouldn't need to lecture you,"_**_ Harry retorted. __**" Nothing I sssaid wasn't true. You were acting like an idiotic Gryffindor by trying to leave, **_**dessspite****_ knowing that you aren't fully healed. Continuousssly trying to essscape isssn't going to do you any good; you're more likely to reopen your wound and make your injury worssse. Like today, your musssclesss ssseized up and you nearly got trampled on. You may be a grown adult, but right now you're a sssnake with no magic, ssso how are you sssupposssed to take care of yourssself? I know you probably hate me and hate being taken care of by me, but for your sssake, could you just put up with it and ssstop trying to essscape?"_**

_Snape was taken aback. The boy actually seemed to care about his wellbeing. __**"Potter, are you sssaying you actually care if I am hurt?"**_

**_"Er… yeah? I guessssss. After all, you have sssaved me countlessssss timesss."_**

**_"Only to have you die on me in the end,"_**_ Snape muttered. __**"Damn ssscheming old fool."**_

**_"Hey!"_**_ Harry protested, __**"I managed to live in the end."**_

**_"Indeed."_**_ Snape was silent for a moment, and then he remembered something Potter had said. __**"Did you admit that you Gryffindorsss are idiotic and charge into sssituationsss without consssidering the consssequencesss?"**_

**_"I sssuppose I did, didn't I?"_**

_At Harry's words, Snape smirked triumphantly, or at least as triumphantly as a snake was capable of smirking._

_Harry noticed this and glared. __**"You can't tell me that Ssslytherinsss aren't sssly, ssscheming, sssneaky, cunning gitsss either."**_

**_"At leassst being sssneaky and cunning are ussseful traitsss. You can't say the same about the ssso called Gryffindor bravery,"_**_ Snape smirked._

**_"There'sss plenty of timesss where my idiotic bravery hasss kept me alive and ssstopped Voldemort."_**

**_"Your idiotic bravery isss what caussses you to charge headlong into sssituationsss without ssstopping to think, and resssultsss in me having to sssave you and your friendsss who willingly follow you into danger,"_**_ Snape snapped._

**_"What about firssst year when my idiotic bravery allowed me to ssstop Voldemort from getting the Philosopher'sss Ssstone?"_**_ Harry challenged Snape._

**_"Yesss, and were you not an idiotic Gryffindor who chargesss headlong into thingsss, you would have brought a teacher with you, and would not have had to face the Dark Lord alone. Had you brought a teacher with you, they could have knocked out and bound Quirrell, being much more proficient duellersss than an eleven year old firssst year,"_**_ Snape sneered. __**"Really, Potter, do think for once."**_

**_"I'm not ssstupid! We did go to Professssssor McGonagall to tell her what we sssussspected. It'sss hardly our fault if ssshe didn't believe usss. There wasss no time to try and convince her, and we couldn't go to Dumbledore, ssso there was no option but to go by ourssselvesss."_**

_At this Snape scoffed. __**"There'sss alwaysss other optionsss. That you didn't ssstop to consider them provesss that your idiotic bravery only ssservesss to put you in danger time and time again."**_

_Sensing that arguing about his first year was like fighting a losing battle, Harry asked __**"Well what about sssecond year when I killed the basssilisssk and sssaved Ginny."**_

**_"Yes, and your idiotic Gryffindor bravery got you nearly killed by Basssilisssk venom,"_**_ Snape hissed angrily. __**"Had you brought a teacher with you, you might not have gotten injured."**_

**_"I did bring a teacher,"_**_ Harry protested. __**"Lockheart-"**_

**_"Potter, you know asss well as I do that Lockheart was an idiot and a poor excussse of a teacher. Had you brought a _****competent****_ teacher, you would not have had to face the basssilisssk alone."_**

**_"Well what about fourth year then, when I was taken to the graveyard?"_**

**_"You dueled with the Dark Lord, Potter. That alone ssspeaksss for itssself."_**

**_"If I hadn't I would have died,"_**_ Harry pointed out._

**_"… Then perhapsss there are _****sssome****_ timesss when Gryffindor foolissshnessssss isss ussseful then. However thossse timesss are few and far between."_**_ After some time, Snape added quietly, __**"And I don't hate you. Not in the way I hated your father. You irritate me incessssssantly with your idiotic foolissshnessssss and your incompetence in potionsss, but I don't hate you."**_


	6. Chapter 5

Harry Potter and all the characters involved do not belong to me, they belong to J K Rowling.

* * *

"Normal speech"

'Thinking'

_Flashback_

**_"Parseltongue"_**

* * *

_Harry was stunned at Snape's words. He didn't hate him? But all his actions pointed to the opposite. True, they were getting along lately, with Snape stuck as a snake and all, but that was only because Snape was reliant on Harry. Though they did argue quite often… __**"Do you really not hate me Professssssor?" **__Harry asked hesitantly, __**"It'sss not that I doubt you or anything, well actually I do, but that'sss only becaussse you've never given any indication in the passst that you didn't hate me becaussse of who my father isss."**_

_Snape sighed, why was he stuck with an idiotic Gryffindor who couldn't _think_? __**"Really, Potter, ussse your head for once, if there'sss anything in it. What wasss my role in the passst?"**_

**_"You were a ssspy…"_**

**_"Yesss! I wasss a ssspy, and head of Ssslytherin. Of courssse I couldn't be nice to any Gryffindorsss, not when I wasss head of Houssse to children of Death Eatersss, who were doubtlessssss reporting my actionsss back to their parentsss. I couldn't afford to make missstakesss asss a ssspy for the light, ssso I had to maintain my cover at _****all ****_timesss."_**

**_"Oh," _**_Harry replied, realizing just how dangerous Snape's role really was.__** "And I sssuppossse we didn't make it any easssier for you, did we?"**_

**_"You mossst certainly _****did not****_,"_**_Snape snorted._

_At that, Harry didn't know how to respond, so they sat in silence, until Snape reminded Harry that Madam Pomfrey was likely waiting for Harry to bring him in so she could check him over._

* * *

Once they had gone to the Hospital Wing, Madam Pomfrey had scanned Snape to make sure he was healing ok. She confirmed that Snape would be fine in a week if he didn't keep trying to escape, and explained to Harry that he kept finding himself unable to move because he was straining his body too much. When Snape had hissed at that, she had rounded on him and scolded him for continuously trying to escape and told him that he was only exacerbating his wound, and if necessary, she would keep him in the hospital wing in a tank under the body-bind curse to prevent him from escaping if he persisted in doing so. At that Snape had curled up grumpily in Harry's arms while he snickered at Snape's plight.

Madam Pomfrey had asked if there was anything else she could do for Harry, and when he asked her if she could find out what was keeping Snape trapped in snake form, she cast multiple diagnostic charms, but was unable to find anything wrong with him. His vitals were normal, his magical core was fine so it wasn't magical exhaustion keeping him stuck in that form. Her best guess was that because he was injured in that form, his magic was sustaining it until it deemed that he was fully healed.

Which is why Snape found himself curled up on Harry's pillow as he watched him performing some of the spells he had been reading up on, instead of trying to find a way to escape Potter. He had nothing better to do, and wanted to get back to his dungeons and his potions asap, and escaping would only extend the amount of time he was unable to do so.

"Why isn't it working?" Harry asked in frustration, not understanding why he was unable to perform the disillusionment charm, and inadvertently drawing Snape's attention to himself.

**"You're doing it wrong, Potter," **Snape sighed. He couldn't even be left to his thoughts without the bloody brat distracting him.

**"Ssso how'sss it sssupposssed to be done then?"**

**"Firssst of all, you don't need to hit the object ssso hard, and sssecondly, you need to actually use your magic."**

**"I am usssing my magic!" ** Harry hissed angrily.

**"No, you're just hitting the object with your wand and expecting it to become disillusioned," **Snape retorted. **"For you to disillusion sssomething, you need to know how the disillusionment charm worksss firssst. The charm changesss the physical propertiesss of the object ssso that it takesss on the appearance of the sssurroundingsss, thus rendering it 'invisible'. It is similar to how invisssibility cloaksss work. Sssome have disillusionment charmsss woven into the threadsss as it is made, and others are woven out of hairsss of magical creaturesss that can disillusion themssselves. Therefore when performing the disillusionment charm, you mussst imagine the object taking on the appearance of its sssurroundingsss, and will your magic to make that change happen. Do you underssstand?"**

**"I think ssso."**

**"Then try it now," **Snape told Harry. **"Becaussse the charm isss wordlesssss, it will not be as easssy to perform as other charmsss, though with enough practice, all charms can be performed wordlessly, and even wandlessly, though it takes a very powerful wizard to manage that."**

Harry was still rather surprised that Snape had actually bothered to explain how the charm worked, and had yet to insult him, so when he tried the charm again, he was surprised to see that it had worked. Not completely, since he could still tell that the object was there, but it was hard to notice since it blended in with the surroundings fairly well.

**"Better,"** Snape told Harry as he eyed the stool that he'd been practicing on, **"But it's not entirely hidden yet. Hit it with a Finite, and try again."**

On Harry's next try, he managed to do it, and he grinned at Snape. **"You're a sssurprisingly good teacher sir. For a snake,"** he added cheekily.

**"Brat."**


End file.
